Sri Lanka has a long and illustrious cricketing history. They have produced a plethora of brilliant players who have competed on the international scene.
Just like Sri Lankan batsmen have amassed loads of runs in the 50-over format, their bowlers have also ably picked up wickets. Their spin bowling has been outstanding, and they have possessed a world-class bowling lineup.
This article lists the top 10 bowlers with the most wickets for Sri Lanka in ODIs.
Most Wickets for Sri Lanka in ODI
| Player | Innings | Wickets | BBI | Avg | 5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muttiah Muralitharan | 334 | 523 | 7/30 | 23.07 | 10 |
| Chaminda Vaas | 319 | 399 | 8/19 | 27.45 | 4 |
| Lasith Malinga | 220 | 338 | 6/38 | 28.87 | 8 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 365 | 320 | 6/29 | 36.67 | 4 |
| Nuwan Kulasekara | 181 | 199 | 5/22 | 33.92 | 1 |
| Dilhara Fernando | 140 | 183 | 6/27 | 30.66 | 1 |
| Thisara Perera | 157 | 175 | 6/44 | 32.80 | 4 |
| Ajantha Mendis | 84 | 152 | 6/13 | 21.86 | 3 |
| Upul Chandana | 136 | 151 | 5/61 | 31.90 | 1 |
| Kumar Dharmasena | 134 | 138 | 4/37 | 36.21 | 0 |
Key Insights
523: Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka is regarded as one of the best bowlers in the world, with the most wickets in both test and ODI cricket. Over the course of his two-decade career, Muralitharan has taken 523 ODI wickets in 343 matches. His best bowling numbers of 7/30 are still among the finest in ODI history.
1331: Muralitharan’s bowling record in all three formats of the game is also exceptional, with 1331 wickets in 487 matches for Sri Lanka. It is highly unlikely that a player from any country will breach this huge tally.
10000 & 300: Sanath Jayasuriya is the only player in ODI history to have scored over 10000 runs and taken over 300 wickets.
4: Lasith Malinga is the only cricketer in ODI history to take four wickets in four consecutive balls. He achieved this feat while playing against South Africa in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Moreover, Malinga also holds the record for most ODI hat-tricks (3 hat-tricks).
8/19: Chaminda Vaas holds the world record for the best ODI bowling performance as he picked up 8 for just 19 runs against Zimbabwe in Colombo. This is also Sri Lanka’s best bowling figure in ODIs.
15: Over 15 Sri Lankan bowlers have bagged 100 or more wickets in the 50-over format.
